Here is a trailer for the script I wrote called Blanched.
Part of the Storytelling Unit. I had to shoot it and edit it. Amy Olszak stars as my character Blanche. And the music is a medley of Sigur Ros songs.
Enjoy!
I have used the smallest possible size but it's still cropping. To watch in HD click on the vvideo to be sent to youtube.
Showing posts with label Storytelling Module. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Storytelling Module. Show all posts
Friday, 21 May 2010
Thursday, 29 April 2010
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Revised Treatment: "Blanched"- plus ending.
“Blanched” is a uniquely surreal and beautiful drama telling the story of woman and her passionate love affair with fashion and colour. Set in a city bursting with personality, it’s inhabitants extrovert, outgoing and friendly, contemporary life has never been so vibrant.
This ten minute film follows Blanche who was brought up in a society where fashionable exuberance is second nature, where everyone's individuality is expressed whole-heartedly through their clothing, Blanche is the personification of said society. She is youthful and lively, eccentric and kind and has a burning passion for clothes and colour. Everyday she buys or creates a new piece of clothing to express herself and to flaunt her extravagance about the city, without a care in the world. Even in a society where everyone is similarly spirited Blanche is admired for her flare.
Years of collecting and hoarding, brings about infinite choice and possibility for wearable expression. It is this overwhelming amount of choice which see’s Blanche’s indecision cascades her into a cocoon of colour, both physically and emotionally. The film see’s Blanche’s sudden withdrawal from the world. Despite intent to engage with the outside world her obsession and indecision finds her unable to step outdoors for lack of knowing what to wear.
Having been trapped in this cycle of chromatic enchantment for over a decade, Blanche eventually brings herself to gaze through the curtains into the now unknown world outside. What she finds shocks her and deeply saddens her. The once flamboyant city which she had one loved, ached with monochromatic melancholy. The effect of industrialization and modern stresses brought her city to a state in which it had forgotten happiness and people no longer knew how to enjoy themselves.
Blanche, being the only bright flame left in this place feels obligated to show the world the true meaning of being alive. Her self entrapment in her colour ridden apartment turns out to have saved her from being drained of spirit like the rest of the world. Her life is once again flooded with purpose. She must use her preserved spirit to re-enlighten the world and save it from being driven any further into grey indifference.
However, she soon realises she will have to sacrifice more than her clothes collection to save the world. After she gives everything to help her fellow man, will they reciprocate and save her too? Or will she perish as a martyr?
This ten minute film follows Blanche who was brought up in a society where fashionable exuberance is second nature, where everyone's individuality is expressed whole-heartedly through their clothing, Blanche is the personification of said society. She is youthful and lively, eccentric and kind and has a burning passion for clothes and colour. Everyday she buys or creates a new piece of clothing to express herself and to flaunt her extravagance about the city, without a care in the world. Even in a society where everyone is similarly spirited Blanche is admired for her flare.
Years of collecting and hoarding, brings about infinite choice and possibility for wearable expression. It is this overwhelming amount of choice which see’s Blanche’s indecision cascades her into a cocoon of colour, both physically and emotionally. The film see’s Blanche’s sudden withdrawal from the world. Despite intent to engage with the outside world her obsession and indecision finds her unable to step outdoors for lack of knowing what to wear.
Having been trapped in this cycle of chromatic enchantment for over a decade, Blanche eventually brings herself to gaze through the curtains into the now unknown world outside. What she finds shocks her and deeply saddens her. The once flamboyant city which she had one loved, ached with monochromatic melancholy. The effect of industrialization and modern stresses brought her city to a state in which it had forgotten happiness and people no longer knew how to enjoy themselves.
Blanche, being the only bright flame left in this place feels obligated to show the world the true meaning of being alive. Her self entrapment in her colour ridden apartment turns out to have saved her from being drained of spirit like the rest of the world. Her life is once again flooded with purpose. She must use her preserved spirit to re-enlighten the world and save it from being driven any further into grey indifference.
However, she soon realises she will have to sacrifice more than her clothes collection to save the world. After she gives everything to help her fellow man, will they reciprocate and save her too? Or will she perish as a martyr?
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
Revised Treatment: "Blanched"
((Finally decided on a name and title. Character name is Blanche- french word for White. And title is Blanched which means to take colour out of something/bleach/turn to white/ to become pale. I also thought it had an interesting double meaning with the character name.))
“Blanched” is a uniquely surreal and beautiful drama telling the story of woman and her passionate love affair with fashion and colour. Set in a city bursting with personality, it’s inhabitants extrovert, outgoing and friendly, contemporary life has never been so vibrant.
This ten minute film follows Blanche who was brought up in a society where fashionable exuberance is second nature, where everyone's individuality is expressed whole-heartedly through their clothing, Blanche is the personification of said society. She is youthful and lively, eccentric and kind and has a burning passion for clothes and colour. Everyday she buys or creates a new piece of clothing to express herself and to flaunt her extravagance about the city, without a care in the world. Even in a society where everyone is similarly spirited Blanche is admired for her flare.
Years of collecting and hoarding, brings about infinite choice and possibility for wearable expression. It is this overwhelming amount of choice which see’s Blanche’s indecision cascades her into a cocoon of colour, both physically and emotionally. The film see’s Blanche’s sudden withdrawal from the world. Despite intent to engage with the outside world her obsession and indecision finds her unable to step outdoors for lack of knowing what to wear.
Having been trapped in this cycle of chromatic enchantment for over a decade, Blanche eventually brings herself to gaze through the curtains into the now unknown world outside. What she finds shocks her and deeply saddens her. The once flamboyant city which she had one loved, ached with monochromatic melancholy. The effect of industrialization and modern stresses brought her city to a state in which it had forgotten happiness and people no longer knew how to enjoy themselves.
Blanche, being the only bright flame left in this place feels obligated to show the world the true meaning of being alive. Her self entrapment in her colour ridden apartment turns out to have saved her from being drained of spirit like the rest of the world. Her life is once again flooded with purpose. She must use her preserved spirit to re-enlighten the world and save it from being driven any further into grey indifference.
“Blanched” is a uniquely surreal and beautiful drama telling the story of woman and her passionate love affair with fashion and colour. Set in a city bursting with personality, it’s inhabitants extrovert, outgoing and friendly, contemporary life has never been so vibrant.
This ten minute film follows Blanche who was brought up in a society where fashionable exuberance is second nature, where everyone's individuality is expressed whole-heartedly through their clothing, Blanche is the personification of said society. She is youthful and lively, eccentric and kind and has a burning passion for clothes and colour. Everyday she buys or creates a new piece of clothing to express herself and to flaunt her extravagance about the city, without a care in the world. Even in a society where everyone is similarly spirited Blanche is admired for her flare.
Years of collecting and hoarding, brings about infinite choice and possibility for wearable expression. It is this overwhelming amount of choice which see’s Blanche’s indecision cascades her into a cocoon of colour, both physically and emotionally. The film see’s Blanche’s sudden withdrawal from the world. Despite intent to engage with the outside world her obsession and indecision finds her unable to step outdoors for lack of knowing what to wear.
Having been trapped in this cycle of chromatic enchantment for over a decade, Blanche eventually brings herself to gaze through the curtains into the now unknown world outside. What she finds shocks her and deeply saddens her. The once flamboyant city which she had one loved, ached with monochromatic melancholy. The effect of industrialization and modern stresses brought her city to a state in which it had forgotten happiness and people no longer knew how to enjoy themselves.
Blanche, being the only bright flame left in this place feels obligated to show the world the true meaning of being alive. Her self entrapment in her colour ridden apartment turns out to have saved her from being drained of spirit like the rest of the world. Her life is once again flooded with purpose. She must use her preserved spirit to re-enlighten the world and save it from being driven any further into grey indifference.
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Just Before Bed...
Watched a trailer for "In My Sleep". It was interesting because it touched upon the initial ideas I had for my storytelling unit.
It also appears to have tones of Memento in it. Not knowing what you've done before you lost your memory/ woke up. It looks intense. I don't have much hope for it being a brilliant film but definately looks interesting.
Check out the trailer: http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/inmysleep/
It also appears to have tones of Memento in it. Not knowing what you've done before you lost your memory/ woke up. It looks intense. I don't have much hope for it being a brilliant film but definately looks interesting.
Check out the trailer: http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/inmysleep/
Thursday, 25 March 2010
My Idea
As it is at the moment.
Fictional time period. We begin in a bright, extravagant, wacky society, in a time where fashion is completely individual and in-discriminative. In a city bursting with personality, it's inhabitants extrovert, outgoing and friendly. Our character is a youthful, lively, eccentric woman who has a BURNING passion for clothes. For all things wearable. Everyday she buys something new and flaunts her extravagance about the city without a care in the world. Even in a society where people are similarly spirited, she is admired for her flare. For a few years she collects and collects all these clothes, and gradually fills up every corner and crevice in her already cluttered apartment. Eventually she has so many clothes, every item loved, every item beautiful and cared for, that one day she can't decide what to wear. She makes plans to meet friends, have dinner, go on dates, but each day she wakes up, she cannot decide what to wear, and she ends up spending the entire day trying on different outfits. She goes to bed every night still undecided and wakes up every morning to begin the cycle again. She has driven herself into a cocoon of colour so intense that she no longer ventures outside, no longer knows the world she lives in. Curtains drawn, clothes in piles, food delivered weekly. A decade passes. One day, a tickling curiosity finds her peeping through the curtain onto the outside world. Everything has changed. The world is drained of colour. Office blocks have popped up around her apartment building. People mosey along minding their own business, keeping to themselves, containing themselves within monotonous suits and briefcases. After a long gaze at this strange world, she turns back to her own. Having to momentarily shield her eyes from the glare of colour coming from her home. As her eyes soak up the dazzling sight, she is flooded with a sense of euphoria, a feeling that she had so long forgotten, that her love of clothes so often gave her.
Looking out at the bleak and miserable, introverted drone of contemporary life, she knows what she must do....
I have yet to decide what she will do. But it will be something along the lines of spreading colour everywhere, which is fairly apparent. I just haven't decided how, a few ideas on that are bashing about in my mind though. Also Simon has suggested it needn't be in a fictional time period. Just contemporary. I made it fictional because I didn't want it to be the sixties or something and was just giving emphasis. But contemporary would work. Any thoughts?
Fictional time period. We begin in a bright, extravagant, wacky society, in a time where fashion is completely individual and in-discriminative. In a city bursting with personality, it's inhabitants extrovert, outgoing and friendly. Our character is a youthful, lively, eccentric woman who has a BURNING passion for clothes. For all things wearable. Everyday she buys something new and flaunts her extravagance about the city without a care in the world. Even in a society where people are similarly spirited, she is admired for her flare. For a few years she collects and collects all these clothes, and gradually fills up every corner and crevice in her already cluttered apartment. Eventually she has so many clothes, every item loved, every item beautiful and cared for, that one day she can't decide what to wear. She makes plans to meet friends, have dinner, go on dates, but each day she wakes up, she cannot decide what to wear, and she ends up spending the entire day trying on different outfits. She goes to bed every night still undecided and wakes up every morning to begin the cycle again. She has driven herself into a cocoon of colour so intense that she no longer ventures outside, no longer knows the world she lives in. Curtains drawn, clothes in piles, food delivered weekly. A decade passes. One day, a tickling curiosity finds her peeping through the curtain onto the outside world. Everything has changed. The world is drained of colour. Office blocks have popped up around her apartment building. People mosey along minding their own business, keeping to themselves, containing themselves within monotonous suits and briefcases. After a long gaze at this strange world, she turns back to her own. Having to momentarily shield her eyes from the glare of colour coming from her home. As her eyes soak up the dazzling sight, she is flooded with a sense of euphoria, a feeling that she had so long forgotten, that her love of clothes so often gave her.
Looking out at the bleak and miserable, introverted drone of contemporary life, she knows what she must do....
I have yet to decide what she will do. But it will be something along the lines of spreading colour everywhere, which is fairly apparent. I just haven't decided how, a few ideas on that are bashing about in my mind though. Also Simon has suggested it needn't be in a fictional time period. Just contemporary. I made it fictional because I didn't want it to be the sixties or something and was just giving emphasis. But contemporary would work. Any thoughts?
Tuesday, 16 March 2010
IDEAS!
So I have had 3 "kind-of" ideas for my storytelling. VERY rough ideas.
1). Something about lack of sleep. I struggle to sleep myself, waking up loads of times in the night, unable to sleep without silence etc, so it's a topic I could relate to and research with interest. I would like to portray insomnia and the effect it has on someone.
After talking with Helen, this idea has expanded somewhat. An interesting thing we discussed is that after so long of no sleep, the boundaries between awake and asleep/dreaming are blurred. This is shown in Fight Club and in the new trailer for the new Nightmare on Elm Street film. I am intrigued by how the camera shots and effects could express the drowsiness, surrealness of this sleepless guy. Most of the dialogue would be voiceover I think. Becuase the way I see it is the guy is alone and he wouldn't talk about his sleeplessness to himself.
2) Life in the Day of, kind of thing. I have only seen this in images in my brain, I don't know how it would work as a script.
Basically, a guy wakes up and his day is kind of portrayed as a journey. He walks constantly through each scene. Walks through breakfast, dressing, toiletting, etc. However, this is very much like the current advert on tv with the guy watching football.
3) An abstract drama about the lies that are told to children. We would see an adult strictly informing his child about how the wind changing could freeze his face in an ugly way, yawning with your mouth open allows flies to lay eggs in your belly, you will turn into a food if you eat too much of it. Then one morning, strange things would start happening to the parent. He would disobey his own rules and suffer a comeuppance. I was thinking this could be a dark tale, horrible things happen to him in graphic ways rather than comedic ones.
1). Something about lack of sleep. I struggle to sleep myself, waking up loads of times in the night, unable to sleep without silence etc, so it's a topic I could relate to and research with interest. I would like to portray insomnia and the effect it has on someone.
After talking with Helen, this idea has expanded somewhat. An interesting thing we discussed is that after so long of no sleep, the boundaries between awake and asleep/dreaming are blurred. This is shown in Fight Club and in the new trailer for the new Nightmare on Elm Street film. I am intrigued by how the camera shots and effects could express the drowsiness, surrealness of this sleepless guy. Most of the dialogue would be voiceover I think. Becuase the way I see it is the guy is alone and he wouldn't talk about his sleeplessness to himself.
2) Life in the Day of, kind of thing. I have only seen this in images in my brain, I don't know how it would work as a script.
Basically, a guy wakes up and his day is kind of portrayed as a journey. He walks constantly through each scene. Walks through breakfast, dressing, toiletting, etc. However, this is very much like the current advert on tv with the guy watching football.
3) An abstract drama about the lies that are told to children. We would see an adult strictly informing his child about how the wind changing could freeze his face in an ugly way, yawning with your mouth open allows flies to lay eggs in your belly, you will turn into a food if you eat too much of it. Then one morning, strange things would start happening to the parent. He would disobey his own rules and suffer a comeuppance. I was thinking this could be a dark tale, horrible things happen to him in graphic ways rather than comedic ones.
Thursday, 11 March 2010
Soft Trailer
This is the trailer I made with Steve. It's for the short film Soft by Simon Ellis. Music is by Rise Against and called Hero of War.
Final Cut Pro is quite something! I really enjoy using it though. I look forward to mastering it! haha. It was fun making a trailer. Also very tedious. You definately have to have a lot of patience to be an editor.
The Journey Script
I won't put it up here because it would be a fairly long post. I found the prospect of writing a script, even a 3 minute one, daunting at first. 'The Journey', although vague, was at least a starting point which is always helpful. I got inspired for my script 'Directions' on my way to the TV Studios one morning. My brother had gotten lost finding the UCA campus and phoned me for directions.
So I wrote a script about a girl on a journey in a cab. The cabbie doesn't know the place she wants to go so she has to direct him. She is also called by an unidentified friend who has gotten lost and needs directions. So the script is primarily her, giving directions to both the cabbie and the phone friend which becomes confusing and by the end it is clear that it has confused her. When she gets out of the cab, seemingly sure of where she is, she suddenly realises that she is lost.
I found this writing task challenging. It was difficult to think up an idea specific to 3 minutes. It was also quite limiting, because it was meant to be three pages. However, for a first script I don't think it went too badly. I enjoyed using the format and it's a nice, creative and challenging way of writing.
So I wrote a script about a girl on a journey in a cab. The cabbie doesn't know the place she wants to go so she has to direct him. She is also called by an unidentified friend who has gotten lost and needs directions. So the script is primarily her, giving directions to both the cabbie and the phone friend which becomes confusing and by the end it is clear that it has confused her. When she gets out of the cab, seemingly sure of where she is, she suddenly realises that she is lost.
I found this writing task challenging. It was difficult to think up an idea specific to 3 minutes. It was also quite limiting, because it was meant to be three pages. However, for a first script I don't think it went too badly. I enjoyed using the format and it's a nice, creative and challenging way of writing.
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Outline- Bank Robbery
The Deposit Box
by Cat, Steve and Chris
Idea:
What happens?
BANK ROBBERY. Seemingly average bank robbery. Normal lobby and people milling around. (A few seemingly out of place posters and flyers around, subtle clues about what's to come). Set up to be a normal present day circumstance. An interviewee is taken into a back room. Start interview with normal questions. What are your hobbies? What's your experience? Tell me about yourself.. ? Interviewee answers all the questions reasonably and fairly generically.
Questions get more in depth. Interviewee starts asking questions about the building, the safes etc. Interviewer is baffled and suspicious. Interviewee continues his unorthodox interrogation.
In lobby: Robbers storm in.
Interview room: Interviewee points out cctv footage of his 'troops' entering the building. He reasons with interviewer and makes requests. Wants to be able to leave building safely and access safes and deposit boxes and stations.
Lobby: Robbers step into action. Lay out their intentions, and enter donation corridor to 'collect'. Strange noises are heard up and down this corridor, robbers announce "collections!" and take pots from each room as they are handed to them.
Pots are collected and cooler boxes. Interviewee joins the robbers with the interviewer and they storm to the back of the building. To the 'Deposit Box'! Safe doors are opened and reveals SPERM!
Twist is this is no ordinary bank.
Something to consider: Could be a more effective story if setting is further considered. For example, this could be a society where sperm has become as, if not more precious than money. Like the value of blood in the film 'Daybreaker'. Or a society where sperm is traded and sold daily.
Characters:
Receptionist: 80 year old woman. Frail and batty. Very blunt and can cause uncomfortable situations considering the nature of her job.
Interviewer: Julie, 40 something, has hobbies apparently, married with kids (sympathy death), very nice lady. Survives for her kids. A lovely approachable lady.
Interviewee: Mysterious character, smartly dressed, black suit, hat?, around 30yrs old, confident, self-assured, an average gentleman, polite, well-mannered demeanor. BUT IS HE?! Doesn't give much away so could be someone else? Liar!? Setting up false pretenses?
Bank Robbers?: 3 robbers, 2 female, 1 male? plus inside man, 4. (Inside man being interviewee). Weapons? Water pistols (guns, innuendo).
Bank clients: Lots of men sitting about. And entering rooms off the corridor. A few women waiting with them.
Structure:
Beginning: Normal bank situation.
Middle: Development.
End: Revelation. Happy, satisfying ending. Potential Cliffhanger. Not quite revealing the situation but raising questions.
TP1: Where the interviewee turns out to be a criminal.
TP2: Sperm bank rather than money bank.
Hook: As the interviewee starts acting suspicious. What's going to happen? Who is he?
Theme: The possibility of something strange holding more value than money. An infertile world.
by Cat, Steve and Chris
Idea:
What happens?
BANK ROBBERY. Seemingly average bank robbery. Normal lobby and people milling around. (A few seemingly out of place posters and flyers around, subtle clues about what's to come). Set up to be a normal present day circumstance. An interviewee is taken into a back room. Start interview with normal questions. What are your hobbies? What's your experience? Tell me about yourself.. ? Interviewee answers all the questions reasonably and fairly generically.
Questions get more in depth. Interviewee starts asking questions about the building, the safes etc. Interviewer is baffled and suspicious. Interviewee continues his unorthodox interrogation.
In lobby: Robbers storm in.
Interview room: Interviewee points out cctv footage of his 'troops' entering the building. He reasons with interviewer and makes requests. Wants to be able to leave building safely and access safes and deposit boxes and stations.
Lobby: Robbers step into action. Lay out their intentions, and enter donation corridor to 'collect'. Strange noises are heard up and down this corridor, robbers announce "collections!" and take pots from each room as they are handed to them.
Pots are collected and cooler boxes. Interviewee joins the robbers with the interviewer and they storm to the back of the building. To the 'Deposit Box'! Safe doors are opened and reveals SPERM!
Twist is this is no ordinary bank.
Something to consider: Could be a more effective story if setting is further considered. For example, this could be a society where sperm has become as, if not more precious than money. Like the value of blood in the film 'Daybreaker'. Or a society where sperm is traded and sold daily.
Characters:
Receptionist: 80 year old woman. Frail and batty. Very blunt and can cause uncomfortable situations considering the nature of her job.
Interviewer: Julie, 40 something, has hobbies apparently, married with kids (sympathy death), very nice lady. Survives for her kids. A lovely approachable lady.
Interviewee: Mysterious character, smartly dressed, black suit, hat?, around 30yrs old, confident, self-assured, an average gentleman, polite, well-mannered demeanor. BUT IS HE?! Doesn't give much away so could be someone else? Liar!? Setting up false pretenses?
Bank Robbers?: 3 robbers, 2 female, 1 male? plus inside man, 4. (Inside man being interviewee). Weapons? Water pistols (guns, innuendo).
Bank clients: Lots of men sitting about. And entering rooms off the corridor. A few women waiting with them.
Structure:
Beginning: Normal bank situation.
Middle: Development.
End: Revelation. Happy, satisfying ending. Potential Cliffhanger. Not quite revealing the situation but raising questions.
TP1: Where the interviewee turns out to be a criminal.
TP2: Sperm bank rather than money bank.
Hook: As the interviewee starts acting suspicious. What's going to happen? Who is he?
Theme: The possibility of something strange holding more value than money. An infertile world.
Wednesday, 17 February 2010
Fictional Pitch
"Living at War opens your eyes to the treacherous lives of the unwilling civilians living in Iraq while the war destroys their homes. This character based drama keeps you on the edge of your seats"
This drama series concentrates on a different character each week, much like Skins, as they go about different aspects of daily life in an extremely dangerous setting. HIghly dramatic and suspense ridden, you will be fearful for the characters and kept on the edge.
This drama series concentrates on a different character each week, much like Skins, as they go about different aspects of daily life in an extremely dangerous setting. HIghly dramatic and suspense ridden, you will be fearful for the characters and kept on the edge.
Friday, 12 February 2010
Spaced Treatment
Treatment for “Spaced”
by Catharine Dorsett
“Spaced” follows the misadventures of twenty-somethings, Tim Bisley (Simon Pegg) and Daisy Steiner (Jessica Hynes) as they pursue lives in London. Tim and Daisy are brought together by a chance meeting in a cafe and they soon discover they are both flat-hunting. A spur of the moment decision sees them entering a make-believe relationship to meet the demands of an advertisement for an affordable flat in Tufnell Park. We see their unnecessary and over-enthusiastic planning as they prepare to meet the landlady and resident of the flats, Marsha Klein (Julia Deakin).
As Tim and Daisy settle into their new flat, we get to know them a bit more. Tim is an aspiring graphic artist, working in a comic book store while writing his own material. He has a somewhat negative attitude but his youthful spirit brings about strange activities and humorous situations. He has a great imagination, finding himself having zombie game induced hallucinations and plotting extravagant reconnaissance missions. Due to his recent breakup from Sarah, who slept with Tim’s friend Duane, Tim has a tendency to be a bit sensitive. The breakup left him insecure and miserable but with the help of Daisy and others, he soon perks up.
Daisy is an optimistic fun-loving girl, somewhat oblivious to the harsher things in life and has a tendency to procrastinate. Her supposed ambition is to become a journalist but her favourite pastimes tend to involve as little writing as possible. With an attention span of a goldfish she gets bored easily and seeks out adventures wherever possible. During the series she adopts a dog called Colin, who soon becomes the ‘baby’ of the household. He also manages to cause a bit of drama in Daisy’s life.
Dwelling in the downstairs flat is Brian (Mark Heap), a paranoid conceptual artist. His intense and bizarre demeanor can lead one to think he is psychotic and creepy but he is in fact just a bit shy and timid. His artistic techniques are worryingly experimental and create humorous situations and conversations. He appears to be a tormented fellow, particularly by Marsha’s inappropriate crush on him.
Although older than the others, Marsha enjoys the youthful company and seems to think she is still a twenty-something herself. She is quite a sexual creature, which is enhanced by her alcoholism. She lives with her teenage daughter Amber, who throughout the series consists of just a loud blur as she runs and shouts through the house.
Frequent visitors to the flat include Mike (Nick Frost) and Twist (Katy Carmichael). Mike is an integral character to the show. He is Tim’s best friend, an army enthusiast, constantly ready for war. His militant attitude gets him in peculiar situations such as stealing a tank to invade Paris. His relationship with Tim is visually amusing and touching to see.
Twist is a shallow and confident lady who calls her launderette career a fashion career. Being Daisy’s best and possibly only friend, Daisy always speaks very highly of her. Twist begins seeing Brian and their relationship takes interesting turns throughout the series.
Together, these characters make an odd bunch and their constant quirkiness brings about a surreal and intriguing set of events. With rapid-fire editing and constant references to pop culture, this hilarious series is a ‘must see’.
by Catharine Dorsett
“Spaced” follows the misadventures of twenty-somethings, Tim Bisley (Simon Pegg) and Daisy Steiner (Jessica Hynes) as they pursue lives in London. Tim and Daisy are brought together by a chance meeting in a cafe and they soon discover they are both flat-hunting. A spur of the moment decision sees them entering a make-believe relationship to meet the demands of an advertisement for an affordable flat in Tufnell Park. We see their unnecessary and over-enthusiastic planning as they prepare to meet the landlady and resident of the flats, Marsha Klein (Julia Deakin).
As Tim and Daisy settle into their new flat, we get to know them a bit more. Tim is an aspiring graphic artist, working in a comic book store while writing his own material. He has a somewhat negative attitude but his youthful spirit brings about strange activities and humorous situations. He has a great imagination, finding himself having zombie game induced hallucinations and plotting extravagant reconnaissance missions. Due to his recent breakup from Sarah, who slept with Tim’s friend Duane, Tim has a tendency to be a bit sensitive. The breakup left him insecure and miserable but with the help of Daisy and others, he soon perks up.
Daisy is an optimistic fun-loving girl, somewhat oblivious to the harsher things in life and has a tendency to procrastinate. Her supposed ambition is to become a journalist but her favourite pastimes tend to involve as little writing as possible. With an attention span of a goldfish she gets bored easily and seeks out adventures wherever possible. During the series she adopts a dog called Colin, who soon becomes the ‘baby’ of the household. He also manages to cause a bit of drama in Daisy’s life.
Dwelling in the downstairs flat is Brian (Mark Heap), a paranoid conceptual artist. His intense and bizarre demeanor can lead one to think he is psychotic and creepy but he is in fact just a bit shy and timid. His artistic techniques are worryingly experimental and create humorous situations and conversations. He appears to be a tormented fellow, particularly by Marsha’s inappropriate crush on him.
Although older than the others, Marsha enjoys the youthful company and seems to think she is still a twenty-something herself. She is quite a sexual creature, which is enhanced by her alcoholism. She lives with her teenage daughter Amber, who throughout the series consists of just a loud blur as she runs and shouts through the house.
Frequent visitors to the flat include Mike (Nick Frost) and Twist (Katy Carmichael). Mike is an integral character to the show. He is Tim’s best friend, an army enthusiast, constantly ready for war. His militant attitude gets him in peculiar situations such as stealing a tank to invade Paris. His relationship with Tim is visually amusing and touching to see.
Twist is a shallow and confident lady who calls her launderette career a fashion career. Being Daisy’s best and possibly only friend, Daisy always speaks very highly of her. Twist begins seeing Brian and their relationship takes interesting turns throughout the series.
Together, these characters make an odd bunch and their constant quirkiness brings about a surreal and intriguing set of events. With rapid-fire editing and constant references to pop culture, this hilarious series is a ‘must see’.
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Pitching
Today was spent coming up with ideas for original pitches. We used newspapers as stimuli for our ideas.
My pitch was this:
"A cutting edge documentary drama about the treacherous lives of families living in a warzone. 'Frontline Families' explores the daily trauma experienced by warzone civilians.
While the media covers the facts, the figures and the politics, it is easy to forget about the people most affected."
There is rarely any information about the people living there. People forget that the war is happening in a real place and there are real, innocent people involved. They had no choice about the war and just had it happen around them while they still have to live their lives as normally as they can. This idea could also be taken in various ways. I think it is very important to get the real-life footage and hard facts first. A one off dispatches programme perhaps could cover this. That then opens up the possibility of a continuing series. Either documentary or drama. If it were to continue as a drama series, it could really focus on the characters and pulling heart-strings. As a documentary series each episode could involve different people. Like the children, the teachers, the parents, the shop owners etc. And how different people have been affected in different ways.
I got the idea from an article in the Independent about the war. I can't remember the main theme but basically, the citizens of Marjah had been warned to leave but not everyone could afford to do that so had to stay put as trenches are dug around them. Those who could leave, were searched upon arrival in new towns and had no support from the government with food shortages and such.
Unfortunately only my written pitch got filmed because the card ran out of space!
Ta da!
My pitch was this:
"A cutting edge documentary drama about the treacherous lives of families living in a warzone. 'Frontline Families' explores the daily trauma experienced by warzone civilians.
While the media covers the facts, the figures and the politics, it is easy to forget about the people most affected."
There is rarely any information about the people living there. People forget that the war is happening in a real place and there are real, innocent people involved. They had no choice about the war and just had it happen around them while they still have to live their lives as normally as they can. This idea could also be taken in various ways. I think it is very important to get the real-life footage and hard facts first. A one off dispatches programme perhaps could cover this. That then opens up the possibility of a continuing series. Either documentary or drama. If it were to continue as a drama series, it could really focus on the characters and pulling heart-strings. As a documentary series each episode could involve different people. Like the children, the teachers, the parents, the shop owners etc. And how different people have been affected in different ways.
I got the idea from an article in the Independent about the war. I can't remember the main theme but basically, the citizens of Marjah had been warned to leave but not everyone could afford to do that so had to stay put as trenches are dug around them. Those who could leave, were searched upon arrival in new towns and had no support from the government with food shortages and such.
Unfortunately only my written pitch got filmed because the card ran out of space!
Ta da!
Monday, 8 February 2010
Wake up with Spaced..
Watching Spaced as a uni exercise can never be a bad thing. We watched a couple of episodes from season 2. I love how the show is filmed. It's very dramatic and filmed as if in the minds of the characters. Like when they show the characters reacting to each other without the others realising.. It kind of illustrates how dramatic things could seem in your head, even though they aren't. It's hard to explain and I don't know if I did a very good job of it. But that's something I really like about the series.
ANYWAY... We wrote our own pitches for the show and here is mine:
"Comedy drama series involving the quirky relationships of five twentysomethings living in London. Incorporating British authenticity with clever references to pop culture. A fast-paced and surreal experience"
Not very creative. I thought the others did a much better job with theirs, particularly Dylan I think. I stuck solidly to the words already discussed whereas the others branched out and explored their own ideas about it and came up with much more interesting pitches. Not that mine was bad or anything but I could try to be more creative.
So after a morning of Drama we spent the afternoon with documentary. Helen showed us a documentary called "I helped my daughter die". It was moving and being about euthanasia, a very diverse topic to cover.
Helen had us write Radio Times billings for the documentary. Here is mine:
"Loving mother Kay Gilderdale faces murder charges after assisting her daughter, Lynn, with suicide. Panorama tells the moving story of Kay's torment as she awaits the verdict. Presented by Jeremy Vine."
I am pleased with my billing for this one. Could have included a bit more perhaps about the laws but it doesn't give away too much and in my opinion, a show about murder/suicide sells itself because it's a fairly interesting topic with many grey areas as explained in the programme. Provided the topic is stated in the billing.
More pitch fun to be had tomorrow! So until then...
ANYWAY... We wrote our own pitches for the show and here is mine:
"Comedy drama series involving the quirky relationships of five twentysomethings living in London. Incorporating British authenticity with clever references to pop culture. A fast-paced and surreal experience"
Not very creative. I thought the others did a much better job with theirs, particularly Dylan I think. I stuck solidly to the words already discussed whereas the others branched out and explored their own ideas about it and came up with much more interesting pitches. Not that mine was bad or anything but I could try to be more creative.
So after a morning of Drama we spent the afternoon with documentary. Helen showed us a documentary called "I helped my daughter die". It was moving and being about euthanasia, a very diverse topic to cover.
Helen had us write Radio Times billings for the documentary. Here is mine:
"Loving mother Kay Gilderdale faces murder charges after assisting her daughter, Lynn, with suicide. Panorama tells the moving story of Kay's torment as she awaits the verdict. Presented by Jeremy Vine."
I am pleased with my billing for this one. Could have included a bit more perhaps about the laws but it doesn't give away too much and in my opinion, a show about murder/suicide sells itself because it's a fairly interesting topic with many grey areas as explained in the programme. Provided the topic is stated in the billing.
More pitch fun to be had tomorrow! So until then...
Thursday, 4 February 2010
First Project
So today was probably the most productive day I have had in my one and a half years at UCA Maidstone.
After expecting tiny, average digital camcorders, the amazing broadcast cameras were a pleasant surprise! Looking forward to learning more about them but a lot of their settings and functions, so far, seem similar to those of Digital SLR cameras.
Making a 3 minute video seemed like a difficult task at first but this morning Will and I just laid out our idea and were ready start! Generally, the filming seemed to go well, straight from filming the opening title. We discussed our ideas and the shots before shooting and re-shot sequences where necessary, allowing us to get the best out of our 3 minutes. My arms started to ache a bit by the end but it's a small price to pay to be able to operate such a cool camera. The video we produced was awesome and a result of good teamwork I reckon. Go us! I am proud!
This project gave us a chance to explore the studios a bit more. There are some cool corridors. We saw someone getting made up in the make-up room. Will, unsuccessfully attempted to enter every single locked door we came across (including cupboards). Also, there are strange smelling corridors in that place. Went from weird electric heat smells to chocolate to sawdusty piss smells. A place of many wonders! We managed to make a man exclaim "Jesus Christ" when Will ran into him as he left the elevator! Caught it on camera but we had to delete it for the film's sake. Sigh. Lots of friendly people!
Great news! What was once considered a waste of time, is now RESEARCH! I will definately do my best to continue watching ridiculous amounts of tv and I will definately continue to go to the cinema every wednesday! Yay!
Saw It's Complicated yesterday by the way. Very funny! John Krasinski was brilliant! The food in it looked amazing, got to love films with great cooks in, all the yummy fooood! Highly recommended.
Looking forward to next week!
After expecting tiny, average digital camcorders, the amazing broadcast cameras were a pleasant surprise! Looking forward to learning more about them but a lot of their settings and functions, so far, seem similar to those of Digital SLR cameras.
Making a 3 minute video seemed like a difficult task at first but this morning Will and I just laid out our idea and were ready start! Generally, the filming seemed to go well, straight from filming the opening title. We discussed our ideas and the shots before shooting and re-shot sequences where necessary, allowing us to get the best out of our 3 minutes. My arms started to ache a bit by the end but it's a small price to pay to be able to operate such a cool camera. The video we produced was awesome and a result of good teamwork I reckon. Go us! I am proud!
This project gave us a chance to explore the studios a bit more. There are some cool corridors. We saw someone getting made up in the make-up room. Will, unsuccessfully attempted to enter every single locked door we came across (including cupboards). Also, there are strange smelling corridors in that place. Went from weird electric heat smells to chocolate to sawdusty piss smells. A place of many wonders! We managed to make a man exclaim "Jesus Christ" when Will ran into him as he left the elevator! Caught it on camera but we had to delete it for the film's sake. Sigh. Lots of friendly people!
Great news! What was once considered a waste of time, is now RESEARCH! I will definately do my best to continue watching ridiculous amounts of tv and I will definately continue to go to the cinema every wednesday! Yay!
Saw It's Complicated yesterday by the way. Very funny! John Krasinski was brilliant! The food in it looked amazing, got to love films with great cooks in, all the yummy fooood! Highly recommended.
Looking forward to next week!
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